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Social Media Strategy @ColinTWilliams

About Colin WilliamsLong career in wealth management working for

ANZ, Challenger, ipac, Rabobank and AMPFinancial Planning and Marketing –

SM/GM/DirectorFormed HFS in 2011Why?Always loved the internet (inc gadgets) and what

technology bringsI believe we are only scratching the surface of

possibilities through web and social mediaThe web is exciting – Where the action is 24/7/365

To Think AboutSocial Media – A marathon not a sprint...but the gun

went off several years ago!It is no longer an option to be just on social media –

you have to be effectiveTraditional Push marketing (one way messaging) is

now seen as ineffective – death of Yellow PagesPull marketing is in – Engagement and conversationYour website will have more visitors than your officeTransparency and Authenticity in everything we do

If you decide not to talk to your clients online – who will?If you make the decision not to have a web and

social media strategy, it does not mean that your competitors will make the same decision

Advice businesses are now seeing the opportunity to capture new clients via the web and social media and they are more than happy to take yours

More and more people expect you to have a social media presence, just as they expect you to have email and a mobile phone

Digital Marketing, Great For Small Biz

Marketing Budget - Not as important

as it was. Reach is Free

How you plan and implement is now critical

Social Media Disrupting MarketingWhat has NOT changed

Need a clear VisionKnow your target market

What HAS changedNew platforms – disrupting traditional mediaOne way messaging is deadMonitor/measure/learn and adapt – Speed

What’s newNeed to be tactical – now critical (cant ignore day

to day activities)Personalities taking over brand - engaging

Rise of Web Marketing

Who finds Who? Sales funnel Dead?

Financial Services + SM AustraliaAll major institutions and corporations are on-boardSmall business now taking it seriouslyFew are doing it well but progress being made - fastBanks turning ‘negative’ Facebook comments

into opportunitiesTwitter used as a distribution of newsLinkedIn and Twitter very popular among advisersSpokespeople being used to engage

opportunities – Easier for Small biz than corporations

Refresher - Social Media PlatformsFacebook – Family and Friends, est 90% of

households access to Facebook LinkedIn – Popular with professionals including

financial advisers Twitter – Crosses all sectors – The new News

sourceGoogle Plus – Not taken off but beginning to be

popular with businessInstagram – Images and link to SM platformsYouTube, Slideshare – Used with SMBlogs – What people share (Wordpress and Tumblr)

Your Goals on Social MediaSocial Media = Real Time Communication

ToolsOpportunity to:

Communicate to manyBe part of conversationsHelp be top of mind with your clients/prospectsSeek news for your business/industryFind news on your competitorsGather news on your clients/prospects.Direct people to your website - Important

Mistakes on Social MediaLooking to seal the deal on the first date!Starting with no planUnsure of target market – shotgun approachLack of content – nothing to sayInability to capture opportunities as they ariseScared of saying the wrong thingSelling what you do – 16,000 advisers sell

advice – what makes you different?Not willing to spend a little money and time to

learn

Your Web and Social Media PlanIt should be part of your strategic plan – not

something on the sideYou need a clear vision to communicateCore objectives and duties including:

Commitment of timeUnderstanding your target marketMeasurement of resultsPrepared to try new things and fail

occasionallyBe tactical – Things move quickly

Social Media Is Not a Silver BulletIf you have a rotten business model before

creating an online presence, you’ll still have one after being online

Poor businesses get found outGood businesses get found outYou need a good business to be successfulYou’ll need to be authentic and transparent in

everything you doDon’t forget, your clients all have social

media megaphones to talk about you

Components of SM Battle Plan

Website as the Hub

Core Content –

Blogs, video, images

SM Platforms – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Newsletter Database – Clients and Prospects

Measure, adapt and learn –

Google Analytics

Content to be shared

only on Social Media

YOUListen, Learn, Share

Why is content so important? SEO – Sorry there are now quick fixes –

some hard work required: “Creating compelling and useful content will

likely influence your website more than any of the other factors discussed here” –

Google SEO Book You need something to talk about on Social

Media1. Engagement is not all about content – but it

helps!2. Sooner or later people will want to see what

you can do3. Your website is your new reception

Content Blog IdeasSimple Plan - One new blog post per monthMix them up

2 X Case studies2 X Testimonials4 X Newsworthy – what’s happening in the

market place for your target markets1 X Federal Budget feature2 X Staff features – Achievements, personal

insights1 X Christmas/new year update

More Blog ideasWhat are your clients talking about? Short videos – Don’t need to be slick, most

popular videos are usually NOT professionalBudget, Super rules, financial year, New YearPosts about clientsCommunity events – Both you and your

clientsFind good content and share – personalise it,

e.g. “I like this because..”Follow influential bloggers – Follow clients

Need help with Blogs and SM?For Blogs we can:Write contentSupport with videosConsult on ideas and

develop a blog calendar

Help structure a campaign

Review and recommend development for your website

For Social Media:Run SM education

sessionsDevelop processes to

capture clientsUse SM for adverting

– powerfulHow to automate and

use tools

Your WebsiteYou have one chance to make a good first impression and today it will be on the web

Simple designVisitors need to know it is a financial adviser

website! Easy to navigate – Can you answer this question

‘If someone from your target market lands on your website where should they click?’

Adviser websites are often product based and include vague descriptions of what you do – no good

Update content as blogs – Not PDF and other files

Website Pages and more SEOSmall page descriptions okay if you want small

clientsHigh Net Worth clients can read and will

read before investingProfessionals want to source quality informationGoogle likes good titles and rich information

Has any SEO work be done on your website?Titles rank heavily in SEOThink of what someone may type into a search barLinks to other websites – quality is important

Call To ActionHow will people connect with you?Do you let people know that you can help them

no matter where they are? Include Skype, FaceTime on Contact Page and email signature

Some Tips:Offer downloads for connecting with newsletterInstant chat – talk live nowCreate forms that gather great informationBook appointment with real times Use of video – get to know us

Using Social MediaHave some targetsFocus on a core platforms – not allIntegrate with your website – share buttonsListen, learn, share – Be social and engageBe prepared to put in the timeUse tools effectively:

HootsuiteTweet deckMobile apps and notifications

What gets measured, gets doneEvery business must have Google Analytics

(GA)on their website – It’s not an option in 2013

GA – Measures site visits, page views, where they came from, campaigns, AB testing and much more

Discuss your monthly stats at business meetings

Know which visitors come from whereWhich campaigns were most successful

Spreadsheet for measuring SM and Web activities available at my website – sign

up required

Need More helpFor a limited time you can access the Humble

Financial Services Welcome Pack without subscription

Simply click on the link below and receive a free E-Book ‘Why Social Media is Ready Made For The Finance Professional and

the Web and Social Media Activity Worksheet

Click Here For The Welcome Pack